Story perspectives

ICE deported 100+ Iranians amid accelerated White House push

8/21/2026

Summary

ICE Deporting Iranians

ICE deported more than 100 Iranian nationals in 2025-2026.
White House officials ordered an accelerated deportation surge, prioritizing it in June 2025.
Three flights on September 29 2025, December 2025 and January 2026 deported over 100 Iranians.
Iranian embassy repeatedly asked ICE to adjust names, causing last-minute changes.
NIAC called the deportation of an Iranian not on the manifest an extraordinary breakdown.

Summary

US Lands Deportees

The U.S. landed the first post-TPS deportation flight in Cap-Haitien because Port-au-Prince airport is unsafe.
Haiti’s National Office of Migration offered each deportee up to $65 and food and drink upon arrival.
Gang violence controls 70% of Port-au-Prince and routes, endangering deportees traveling south.
Activists warn Haiti lacks resources for the influx, with over half its 12 million people needing aid.

Summary

ICE Awards Billions

ICE has awarded $8.4 billion to over 1,100 companies since Jan 20 2025, per The Appeal.
Atlantic Diving Supply received nearly $100 million in weapons contracts, becoming ICE’s top weapons supplier.
CoreCivic and GEO Group have earned more than $1 billion in ICE contracts since President Donald Trump’s second term began.
A POLITICO poll found 64 percent of MAGA Trump voters support deportation goals versus 35 percent of non-MAGA voters.

History

Historical Context

The 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, dramatically expanded ICE’s removal authority and private-detention reliance. Congress allocated $1.5 billion in the 1997 budget for ICE contracts, prompting CoreCivic, GEO Group, and Atlantic Diving Supply to secure multi-hundred-million-dollar deals. Today, ICE’s 2025-2026 deportation surge targets Iranians and Haitians, while awarding $8.4 billion to over 1,100 firms, echoing the post-IIRIRA privatization surge. The precedent suggests future administrations will likely deepen contract reliance and face heightened political backlash, as 64 percent of MAGA voters endorse deportations.

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ICE Deporting Iranians

ICE deported more than 100 Iranian nationals in 2025-2026.
White House officials ordered an accelerated deportation surge, prioritizing it in June 2025.
Three flights on September 29 2025, December 2025 and January 2026 deported over 100 Iranians.
Iranian embassy repeatedly asked ICE to adjust names, causing last-minute changes.
NIAC called the deportation of an Iranian not on the manifest an extraordinary breakdown.

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